St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-21
THE ENGLISH GAME
OfDoinS Injury to the Commerce
ofthe United States.

OfDoing Injury to the Commerce
ofthe United States.
Special to the Globe.
b WAsHINGToy, May 20.-..The Pacific
roads of the United States cannotcom-
pete with the Canadian Pacific" says
Major Peabody, the well-known rail
road attorney. 1T is useless for the
people and the press to ignore the fact.
The Canadian Pacific was not built as
common carrier; nor was it expected to
pay good dividends upon the amount in
vested. 1t was built as military pre-
cautionary measure by the British gov
ernment." ..- ..-.
But, it is common carrier, isn't it?''
Certainly it is. Unjust be kept open
and in repair, and hence it is a common
carrier. But it is government road all
the same. and has the treasury of the
government back of it. Retaliation is
III Canada'S eye, and her Canadian Pa
citie will carry cereals and all other mer-
chandiSe for nearly nothing, an lose
money all the time, for the sake of
weakening the roads of this country"
But is there likelihood of anything
of the kind?"
lis there? Here is statement made
by one of the leading daily newspapers
OF Dakota: Even with Il tariff of ID
cents per buShel OH wheat, as we know,
two years ago Dakota and Minnesota
farmers made money by hauling it to
Manitoba and selling it to be ground to
flour III Ontario
There is a plain statement of facts
continued the major, land it is a state
ment written and printed by one who
knows whereof he aItirms. Yet, when
the Pacific roads of this country inform
the interstate commerce monStrosity
that they cannot compete with the
Canadian Pacific, the howl of terision
is raised. The commissioners say that
the Canadian Pacific can make money
at the low rates charged, and the 'Ameri-
can roads can do the same, They say
that our own roads are rapacious robbers.
or words to that effect. The fact is. lost
sight of, that the Canadian road is run
almost solely for the benefit of the gov
eminent, and will continue to be Kept
open even if it loses money. 1t is
military necessity. England can afford to
smile at our antics SO long us she MAIN
tains that road. She can transport
troops from point to point, and make life
a burden to the American people living
within striking distance of that road.
Our people talk of retaliation for the
fisheries disputes, but they know not
Mhdl lIltA tlO. w dIC DIT TIC HltIcy Oh
England, in commercial sense, just as
we are in Il naval sense. Great Britain
is not only maritime but commercial
power" .- s1 -.
What has that to do with the ques-
ton of railroad economy"
This. If the bill had been devised
by emissaries of England for the pur-
pose of gripping the commerce of this
country, it could not have been better
framed"
do you mean to inSinuate that such
was the caSe?''
mo. On the contrary, L have too high
an opinion OF both Senators Reagan and
CullOm to harbor such a thought. Yet
the idea might have been instilled into
their minds by Shire wd cGnniyers. Ger
tain it is that the interstate commerce
bill. with its long and short haul clause
is iniuring business, cutting down val
ueS, and diSrupting the business of the
country. 1t places us in the CONNER
cial power of Canada. If the president
issues an interdict, an International
cdict OF non-intercOurSe, we will be the
sufferers, and not Canada.
Yet, do you notice that the press of
the Northwest seems to be in favor of the
enforcement of the obnoxious cIause?.'
Yes. l have noticed it, and greatly
regret it. Probably it will he necessary
to rigidly enforce the law in order to
render it obnoxious to the people az it is
to leading business men, ami then it
will be repealed or modified. l am not
opposed to the law because it hurts the
roads. Not at all. But. believe it is
All anti-American law, inimical to our
business interests and beneficial to
Canadian interests. | am not III favor
of the entire repeal of the law; but it
clf hn tnI ta,- isf1I ft1a
people who are pounding the Union
Pacific for its protest to the interstate
commerce commission, do not fully TN
derstand the subject. The law, is de-
fective and injurious. There, is no
doubt of it,
do you imagine the farmers of Da-
llota and Minnesota will be attempted
to use the Canadian Pacific as suggested
in the article from which you qHote?''s
''DO l? Don't l know England and
her methods? | tell you that she will
build little feeder lines down to the most
convenient places OH our northern Dor
ders in order to get the carrying trade.
! She will do worse than that. She will
cover the great lakes with good bottoms
flying the British flag, and she will
| drive our commerce from the lakes as
she has from the ocean. The ancient
| Phenicians were celebrated for their
maritime ambition and excellence.
| They are not, or were not, a circunl-
! stance to England. There never was
more grasping commercial power in the
world. That is the reason have been
tempted TO suspect slrewd manipula-
! ton of affairs at Washington last winter
| in the interest of Canada"
"Do you know any British agents in
Washington"
Outside OF the British legation 1 do
not. DO you imagine that if there are
| such men they would come here and
| label themselves, and have signs painted
! across the fronts of their houses an
n0uncing the fact that they were here
| III that interest? 1t is merc suspicion
! OH my part, because Of the fact that the
| law is so strongly English il its bcneii-
| cial tendencies and effects.n